The New Sister in Law A Little House fanfic

The New Sister in Law

Eliza Jane reflects on her feelings the first night after Laura and Almanzo’s spur of the moment wedding.  A one shot, complete in one chapter.

 Eliza Jane was having trouble concentrating on her lesson plan.   She was much too happy now that she found out she had a job starting next Monday.  Mr. Williams had answered that wire she had sent yesterday after Laura left on the stage for Radnor.  She’d be teaching in Currie, at the job left vacant by Miss Minnie Trimble after she had gotten married to her new husband, Mr. Thomas Martin, a millionaire, who had made his fortune in the iron ore business during the Civil War.  He was building a ranch on the outskirts of Currie for himself and Minnie to retire to so it would be really easy to move into the teacher’s house over the weekend.

But Eliza had no idea how she was going to get to there.  She really had no one to take her except for Laura and Almanzo and she wasn’t sure if her brother would speak to her again.  After all, she had never, ever lied to him, not in the entire seven years that they had been living together. 

Eliza Jane would never forget the way her brother looked at her after the ceremony was over.  After standing in the back watching as the two of them take their vows, Eliza shyly made her way to where her brother stood, shaking hands with everyone. She waited until he noticed her and when finally did, Almanzo jumped into her arms, his face shining with happiness. She had never seen him smile like that before, but then again, he had never been in love before. 

But it wasn’t the only thing Eliza noticed.  It was the way they kept looking at each other as if they knew they were meant for each other. They looked so happy together. There was a glow about them. It was as if they belonged together and that nothing could ever break them apart.

And while she felt happy for them, she felt a little let down, a little disappointed and a little jealous that, from now on, Almanzo wouldn’t be a part of her life anymore.  She would never hear about his dreams, his accomplishments and his disappointments.  She would never give him advice or ask for his help when she needed it. 

And she would never be first in his life anymore.  She had gotten used to his company for seven years and had thought that he would be there for her forever.

 But that was all over now.

It would be Laura who he would come home to now.  It would be Laura who would give him guidance, it would be Laura who would feed him and mend his clothes and it would be Laura who would hold him in her arms and comfort him when he was upset.  But it would be Laura who would give him the love that he needed and that was the only thing that mattered the most to her.   

Eliza Jane hadn’t the slightest idea why she was the last one to leave the party at the Blind School after the ceremony.  Maybe it was because she wanted to see who was going to leave first?  Maybe it was because she really didn’t want to say goodnight to anyone else.  Or maybe it was because she hadn’t wanted anyone to see her going upstairs alone.

Or have someone see her crying, especially her own brother. 

But she really shouldn’t be crying at all.  She knew she had the teaching job in Currie and she knew that Mr. Williams had found someone to take Laura’s place in Radnor.  She knew everything was going to work out and she knew that if she was going make it on her own, she would have to get used to it.  She even knew the teaching job in Walnut Grove would work out.  Mr. Williams had told her as much.  Even though she hadn’t gone on to Radnor, all he talked about was how great a teacher Laura was, how she connected to the students and how everyone had loved her. 

She looked down at her half done lesson plan and shook her head.  It was late, really late, where were they?  They should have been back by now.  She needed to talk to Laura, she needed her lesson plan. She needed to work with her and get the students used to her being their new teacher.  Willie had been taken by surprise.  He was used to her being a student and it would be hard for them to accept her.

She made a cup of tea for herself and sat down in her favorite chair.  She looked over at the rocker near the fireplace and imagined Almanzo sitting there talking a mile a minute about his day. 

But there was no Almanzo, there was no Laura, there was no one. 

She was the one who kicked them out this morning.  She was the one who packed the lunch for them.  She was the one who wanted time alone without them around so she would be free to send and receive messages from Mr. Williams without them knowing.  She was the one who told them not to worry about the time, that they should just go out and do whatever they wanted. 

Don’t mind me; she told them, I’ll be fine.  I’m leaving Saturday anyway. Don’t worry.

She shook her head and cleared her thoughts.  Concentrate EJ, she told herself.  Get back to reality.

She finished her tea, washed out her cup and, with one last look outside, disappeared into her room.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thursday morning, Eliza Jane found Almanzo in the kitchen, whistling and acting as if everything was normal.  He was finishing up his third cup of coffee when she appeared in the kitchen doorway, wondering what was going on.

“Almanzo?” she asked, staring at him as if she’d never seen him before.  “You already ate breakfast?”

Almanzo’s grin was a mile wide.  He nodded his head.  “We’ve got your toast and eggs right here; Beth had it on the stove.” 

Almanzo grabbed her journal and her school books out of her hand and placed them on the table.  He pulled out her chair and watched her as she sat down.  He went over to the stove and placed Eliza’s breakfast in front of her.  She stared at it as if she’d never seen scrambled eggs with toast or the plate it was on before. 

“Where’s Laura this morning?  I need her….”

“She’s outside doing some last minute chores, but everything else is done.  Right now, we’re just waitin’ on you.”  His smile got wider.  “You know somethin’ Sis?  I wouldn’t be surprised if Beth is outside waitin’ on us. I said I’d stay in here and serve you your breakfast.”

Eliza stared at him.  “Almanzo, is Laura coming back in because I really need….”

Almanzo smiled and nodded his head.  “Are you talking about her lesson plan?  Don’t you worry, Sis,  I’ve got it right here.  Beth wrote it out last night before we….”  But he didn’t finish. His thoughts were elsewhere. 

And he smiled just thinking about it. 

He picked up a handwritten paper from the dining room table and handed it to her.  He wanted to place it in her journal, but Eliza shook her head. 

“Hey, you two,” Laura called from the door.  “It’s getting late.  Almanzo, I need you for a second.”

 “Be there in a jif, Beth,” he said, grabbing the plate and placed it on top of the pile of plates in the sink.  “See ya outside, Sis,” Almanzo said and joined Laura at the door. 

“Almanzo,” she called as he kissed Laura on the lips and put his arm around her.  “What about….”

“We’ve got it all under control, Sis,” Almanzo said, his eyes on Laura the entire time. “The kitchen will be all clean by the time I drive you and Laura back here after school.”    

 She wanted to ask where they were last night, but she didn’t have the heart to.  They were newlyweds after all and it really wasn’t any of her business.  But she was curious. They could have told her, it wasn’t right that they should keep secrets especially from her.

But then again, she should have come clean about her own secrets.

Well, she was going to have to if she needed Almanzo to drive her out there in the rig.  

Eliza placed Laura’s lesson plan carefully in her journal, hoping that nothing fell out of it, especially those telegrams about the teaching job.  It was the last thing that she wanted either of them to see. 

Satisfied that everything was in place, she picked up her school books and hurried out the door to join her brother and his new wife.   

 

 

Three Wishes An Original Story

Three Wishes

Everything seemed quiet when Nathan Chessworthy woke up.  Nice and peaceful, he thought as he threw back the covers with a smile, exactly as I had ordered. That genie was the best thing that happened to him.   

He stepped off his old bed, stretched and headed over to the window of his new home.  It was lovely with the waterfall so close to his house.   In the distance he could see the tall turrets of the old castle and the thatched cottages of the small village below.  In a few minutes, he would call to check in with his guards, but for now he was going to have a shower in those falls.  He shook his head, not believing his luck.

Six days ago while walking on the beach, he stumbled upon an old looking bottle buried halfway in the sand.  He had picked it up and had stared at it.   Nathan looked it over and with a sly smile, rubbed it to see what would happen.  Sure enough, out popped a genie who gave him three wishes, but with a few restrictions. 

“Choose wisely,” the genie told him, “because I can only give you exactly what you ask for, not what you expect.  The rest is up to you.  And, unlike some other genies, your wishes will be granted while you sleep.”

When the genie was sure that Nathan understood, he told him that he was ready to grant him his wishes three.

The first of Nathan’s wishes was to become the wealthiest living man in the entire world.  As promised, his riches were waiting for him when he awoke.

The second was to be king of all he surveyed.  “Granted,” the genie replied. And when he woke up, he found himself in a castle with servants and townspeople scurrying to and fro, waiting to do his every bidding.  Suddenly he realized that he didn’t want anyone around, that he didn’t want anyone to know that he had all this wealth and power.  He just wanted to be alone, to enjoy all this in his solitude.

And so, Nathan’s third and final wish was his desire to keep all these things to himself.  The genie looked at him skeptically. “You are sure that’s what you want?”

Nathan nodded his head.  “Of course,” he said, smiling. 

“Then your wish is my command,” the genie told him.

Now here he was, laughing and soaking under the ice-cold waterfalls.  When he finished, he grabbed his hooded terry robe and pulled it around him.  It was then he noticed how strangely quiet it was.  There was nothing, not a bird, not a deer, not even a fly.  There was no wind and no airplanes overhead.  He shook his head and pulled the hood over his hair.  Probably his imagination, he decided and headed for the door. 

It led into the kitchen where he found everything he needed, including a refrigerator.  Nathan opened the door expecting to find it fully stocked, but there was nothing in it.  He frowned and closed the door. 

He walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet, but no water came out.  Puzzled, he walked into the living room.  Not a stick of furniture, nowhere in the entire house.  No radio, no television and no telephone.  Not a thing.

Panicking now, he threw open a closet door, only to find it empty and devoid of anything. He ran to the bedroom, found his bed was still there and sat down on it, bewildered.   He was very lucky that the genie had at least left him that much, along with his robe that he always kept on the bedpost.

There must be someone or something else here, he thought.  How could this be?

Still in his robe, he got up and ran out the back door, past the waterfall.  The car that he asked for and received, a 1964 cherry red Mustang convertible was waiting for him.  The genie had included this in his first wish.  He turned the key in the ignition, expecting the car to start, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. He looked at the gas gauge.   It read empty.

He hopped out of the car and began to walk down the hill toward the village.  No sign of life anywhere, not even a hint of an existence of any living thing.  He entered one of the abandoned cottages where he found a phone and a television set that didn’t work.

He took a quick tour of the place and didn’t find a thing except an old yellowed newspaper, which was lying on the floor.  It was dated July 29th, four days ago.

Right after he made his second wish.

He picked it up and turned it over. That’s when he caught the headlines on the front page.  “Sudden unexplained illness has surfaced in Europe and Asia and is responsible for killing everything in its wake.  It is headed to the United States with a vengeance.”  

 I don’t believe this; he thought, crumbling it up.  It’s impossible.  Nobody?   Not one single being anywhere.

But then he remembered the genie’s words

“Choose wisely because I can only give you exactly what you ask for, not what you expect. The rest is up to you.”

So now he had his money, his house and his kingship, but what could he possibly do with it?  He was truly lost.  

“How does it feel to be the last person on earth, Nathan?” he thought to himself. Then he began to cry.

 

The Return Home A Little House fanfic

 

 

 The Return Home

A sequel to The Hunters

Author's Note:

This story was done as a special request for The Writer's Fool who helped out with the plot and some of the dialogue. I wanted to give them credit and thank them for their help.

It was a normal day in Walnut Grove, a quiet and peaceful afternoon out on the prairie. Mary had been home from school hours ago and was doing her homework as she watched her youngest sister, Carrie while Caroline was outside finishing up her chores for the day. The sound of hoof beats and wagon wheels was something she had gotten used to over the years. It wasn't exactly a busy road they lived off of, but every once in a while, you could spot a rig driving past.  

But she never expected what happened next. She heard a familiar voice call out her name from behind her as she hung up the last of Charles' newly washed underwear on the clothesline.

"Caroline?"

She turned to find Isaiah Edwards staring at her, a concerned look on his face that replaced his usual cheerful and happy go lucky grin.

"Mr. Edwards, what are you doing here? Did something happen? Is everything alight? Where's Charles? Where's Laura? "

"There's been an accident, Caroline," Mr. Edwards said, locking eyes with her. "It's Charles."

Caroline gasped and shook her head. She stared back at him, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Where is he? Is Laura with him?"

"Don't you worry, Caroline, Charles is alright, there's nothin' to fret over." Mr. Edwards smiled. "Right now he's got two two doctors lookin' out for him and a lovin' daughter keepin' him company. There's only one thing missin' and that's you by his side. Come on, I'll take you over there. "

Caroline smiled, through her tears. She pulled him close, pecked his cheek and released him. "Let me tell the girls I've got to go into town for a while. I'll be right back."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Charles lay on the examining table waiting for Caroline to come. Doc Baker told him to wait there; he wanted to check on him one last time before he sent Charles home. He was outside right now discussing his condition with Doctor Canby.

He looked over at Laura; she had fallen asleep opposite him in a chair that Doc Baker moved inside from the waiting room. He couldn't have been prouder of his little half pint. He couldn't have done any of this without her. She was the only one who finally convinced old Sam Shelby to get out of that cabin of his. His own son couldn't do it, no matter how hard he tried. Sometimes, Charles thought, as he lay there on his own, sometimes you needed a woman's touch, a soft and loving woman to get you going, right? And it was especially true if that woman loved and cared for you. Why, they could convince you to do anything, couldn't they?

Laura was that kind of woman. Everyone said that about her. If she set her mind to something, she was going to do it, no matter what anyone told her. She would never give up until she got what she wanted. Look at how she had convinced him to take her hunting.

Charles wasn't sure if he could do it, but somehow, he had to convince Caroline to let her come along. He told her that she was getting older and that Laura would be a woman the rest of her life. This was her last chance to be a tomboy. Now what was wrong with that?

Even Edwards tried to convince him that taking a woman along wasn't the proper thing to do. And it was bad luck, besides.

But Laura was just as good as any son, wasn't she? She had followed his directions to Morgan's Creek to the letter and she had found Isaiah waiting for them, right where he was supposed to be.

But then, it wasn't only Laura that found him, was it? Sam Shelby started to remember things about the area, things he saw before he went blind. He recognized the sounds and smells of the area and, i1n remembering, he knew which way they had to go.

Charles had heard something about that. He had heard that people could see even though they were blind. He had heard that if one person's sense was impaired, their other senses took over and those senses became sharper and clearer.

And that's what happened to old Sam Shelby.

Charles was sure that it was because Laura was by his side. She had convinced him to keep going, to keep moving no matter the cost. A life was worth saving. And Laura loved her Pa so much that she was going to save him.

But it was her fault, wasn't it? Maybe Edwards was right after all. It was bad luck to bring a woman hunting. If she hadn't moved that bedroll around, none of this would have happened and he wouldn't be laid up in Doc Baker's office right now. He would have been out in the woods doing a little hunting while Isaiah made his delivery. He wouldn't have been lying in that trapper's cabin all by himself, bleeding to death.

And he had been thirsty. Charles could never remember being so thirsty in his entire life. If he hadn't tipped over that pail of water, he wouldn't have forced himself to get more from the creek.

Edwards had told him that they found him lying, unconscious, on his back. His head was on a rock and his face was sideways, tilted toward the water. He could have drowned; he could have hurt himself on those rocks. And it was all because of….

No, it wasn't her fault. He couldn't tell Caroline it was all her fault, she'd never let Half Pint go with him again. It was his fault; it was Charles Ingalls who had been careless and he knew it. He left the gun unguarded, propped up against the tree and fully loaded to boot. He thought that it would be fine to leave it there where he'd be able to grab it at a moment's notice. That's what hunting was all about, wasn't it? It wasn't the first time he had done something like that and that meant it was okay, right

No, he thought, it wasn't right, nothing about this was right. No matter how many times he had done it, Charles hadn't thought of the consequences. Anyone could have hit that gun and it would have gone off. It could have been an animal brushing against it; it could have been Edwards, why it could even have been Sam Shelby.

And worst of all, it could have been Laura, his daughter, who he loved so much. She was the girl he bonded with, the girl who was just like him in every way possible.

He would never have forgiven himself.

He looked over at Laura and the tears began to roll down his cheeks. Stop it, Charles, he thought to himself, he couldn't let Caroline see him like this. Where was everyone anyway, Edwards should have been back now. How long could it take for those two doctors to go over his condition? He wanted to go home, he wanted to sleep; he needed sleep.

Still facing his daughter, Charles closed his eyes and knew no more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Laura's Remembrance Book

The conference between Doc Baker and Doctor Canby had been interrupted with the arrival of Ma and Mr. Edwards. Pa and I were woken up when the four of them entered the examining room. I ran to Ma's side and she hugged me.  I wanted to ask her what she had heard, but she told me to be quiet and listen. And I did listen as Doctor Canby explained that Charles was much better, the fever had stayed down and that they could go on home any time they wanted. The wound was healing nicely, he continued and it could take anywhere from thirteen days to a year to heal fully.

Doc Baker told Ma and me that we could finally take Pa home, but he wanted to see him back in a week to check on his wound.

Later that night, while Pa was asleep, Ma heard me climbing down from the loft. She caught me as I opened the front door to go outside. She knew that I had been crying and she wrapped her arms me, She told me it would better if we walked over to the barn and got out of the damp night air.

She comforted me and told me that she was glad I had gone. Ma told me that she was so proud of me and how quickly I made my decision to save Pa.  It wasn't my fault , she told me. and that it was meant to happen. It's a good lesson for us all to learn. It was the same thing that Mr. Shelby had said in the trapper's cabin when I told him it was my fault.

I hugged her and told her that I understood. She nodded her head and put her arm around me. And we walked back to the little house together.

But there was something I didn't tell her, something that I kept secret and something that can only be found in these pages.

Pa was sleeping on and off and I wanted to keep an eye on him until Ma and Mr. Edwards arrived. I had asked Doc Baker if I could stay in the room and be there for him in case he needed anything. He agreed and placed a chair inside the examining room and asked me to keep him informed.

I was in the room when both doctors went outside to talk. I stood at the window and watched them for a while until I heard Pa call my name.  

"Yes, Pa?" I said, as I ran over to him.  "Do you need anything?"

"Half Pint," he said, looking at me, "I am going to tell you something and I don't want you to repeat it to anyone else,  Promise me that you won't tell anyone." 

I shook my head. "I won't tell anyone, Pa, I promise."

Pa smiled and stroked my hair. "Listen to me Laura," he said, kissing my forehead.  He pulled me close. "I want to thank you for everything you've done. You and Mr. Shelby saved my life and I will always remember that. And I want you to know that none of this was your fault. You hear me? None of what happened was ever your fault. I want you to remember that, Half Pint, always."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. "And I want you to know how much I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Pa," I whispered back, as he let me go. I didn't have a chance to tell him that Mr. Shelby had already explained this to me because he had fallen asleep again.

To this day, I don't remember when or how I wandered back to my chair in the examining room. What I do remember is how peaceful and calm Pa looked while he slept. And I remember that I watched him until my own eyes grew tired.

I never told anyone else about my secret, not even Ma or Pa.  No one knows, except you and me.

And I hope you'll never tell anyone else.

I Remember An Original Story

 

I Remember

There was a time when the world was younger, that is the time I remember the most.  That’s when I was at my best, when things were simpler, when life was easier, when we all thought nothing could stop us and the world was ours. 

There are so many things that happened in my life, from the time that I was born until now.  And I remember it all, although looking at me now; you’d never see me for what I once was.

I was small, like most things are when they first start out and not very beautiful, but one couple fell in love the minute they noticed me.   They doted on me and they took care of me, but as my family prospered, I began to grow as well.   

Parties were held here, holidays celebrated and weddings attended.   And I was the center of attention.  Everyone complimented on how beautiful I was and how well  I held up under the circumstances.  So many people admired me that they visited me often.   

It was then I noticed that people started to leave.  I had heard that they were having families of their own and, for some reason, they couldn’t stay.  But I still got to see them every once in a while, although a lot of the time they spent was outdoors.  There were still parties and holiday celebrations and the families still came.  And it was still busy, especially at those times. 

But then something happened.  I had heard that my family had run out of money.  There was a stock market crash, whatever that was, and people were losing everything they had.  There were tragedies all over; one of them even affected my family. 

There was talk about moving somewhere else, but nothing ever happened. I even heard that they found some money hidden away and that they would stay with me.

I think it was the next day, I can’t be for sure, I found I had been abandoned, forgotten.  My family, who had loved me enough to care for me, had run off in the middle of the night.  I was heartbroken.

I do remember someone had come back, I do not know when as I have no knowledge of time as it passes.  I wasn’t exactly sure who they were or why they were here.  All I know is that they stayed with me comforted me and told me that everything would be alright, that someone would come for me. 

 One day, he did not come back.  Again, there was no one there to care for me.  I didn’t know what I was going to do.  I needed someone to comfort me, to help and protect me. 

Soon there were other people inside, strangers that I didn’t recognize.  They began to show up, out of nowhere.  I did not know who they were or what they wanted.  All I knew is that one by one, they grabbed things, things of value, things that had meant so much to my family.

It was later on that I realized that the strangers were gone and had not returned.

 And once again, I was lonely. 

Time passed, but not sure how much time.  I watched and waited, but things remained quiet.  I remembered that I heard noises and glass breaking all around me.  I wondered what was happening, but after a while I paid no attention.  There was nothing I could do about it anyway.

One day, I heard people talking outside. I wasn’t sure what they wanted, but they seemed to be very excited and interested in something.    I couldn’t make out what they were talking about, but I will never forget how very interested they were.

Again, other people showed up. And again, they were strangers to me. But this time, they didn’t take anything, no, this time they brought things with them.  They were things to clean with like paint, tools, brooms, soap and water. I watched and waited to see what would happen next.

And I am so glad that I did.   I now have new owners and I’m back to myself again.   I am as popular as I was when my original family came in, fixed me up and watched me grow.

This is now a place where students, teachers and people from all walks of life come in to look at exhibits, which are changed every three months.  People are watching out for me and taking great care of me. There is a sign outside with the word museum for all to see.

I am no longer lonely.

But sometimes, late at night, I always remember my earliest days when I was small and when the world was younger.  That’s when I was at my best, when things were simpler, when life was easier, when we all thought nothing could stop us and the world was ours.